Making music with household objects

What you need

• Pairs of household objects that make a noise e.g. pans and wooden spoons, a bunch of keys, a crisp packet, rice in a jar, a newspaper etc.

Benefits

This learning experience at home helps build strong listening and attention skills as well as strengthening memory skills.

The experience

Hide one set of objects behind the sofa and put the other one in front of you.

Encourage your child to sit with the hidden objects. Use your objects to make a sound and ask your toddler to repeat it with their own objects. Can your child make the same sound? Can they repeat a rhythmic pattern?

Now you can swap - let them have a go at making sounds while you have to repeat the rhythmic pattern back to them. Why don’t you try and create a little orchestra or imitate sounds of different objects using your voice? It can be lots of fun!

Variation: Try and use the objects to play a game of musical statues. Whilst you make sounds, your child has to move safely around the room and when it stops has to stay still. Then you can swap roles.